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Publisher's Summary

In this engagingly witty, wise, and heartfelt memoir, Martin Short tells the tale of how a showbiz-obsessed kid from Canada transformed himself into one of Hollywood’s favorite funnymen, known to his famous peers as the "comedian’s comedian".

Martin Short takes you on a rich, hilarious, and occasionally heartbreaking ride through his life and times, from his early years in Toronto as a member of the fabled improvisational troupe Second City to the all-American comic big time of Saturday Night Live and memorable roles in movies such as ¡Three Amigos! and Father of the Bride. He reveals how he created his most indelible comedic characters, among them the manic man-child Ed Grimley, the slimy corporate lawyer Nathan Thurm, and the bizarrely insensitive interviewer Jiminy Glick. Throughout, Short freely shares the spotlight with friends, colleagues, and collaborators, including Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Gilda Radner, Mel Brooks, Nora Ephron, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Paul Shaffer, and David Letterman.

But there is another side to Short's life that he has long kept private. He lost his eldest brother and both of his parents by the time he turned 20, and, more recently, he lost his wife of 30 years to cancer. In I Must Say, Short talks for the first time about the pain that these losses inflicted and the upbeat life philosophy that has kept him resilient and carried him through. In the grand tradition of comedy legends, Martin Short offers a show business memoir densely populated with boldface names and rife with re-tellable tales: a hugely entertaining yet surprisingly moving self-portrait that will keep you laughing - and crying - from the first page to the last.

Special Lyrics for "It's The Most Wonderful Show of the Year" and "Picture-Perfect Christmas In The Palisades" by Martin Short, Marc Shaiman, and Scott Wittman; Special Lyrics for “Marty Throws a Party Just to Sing" by Marc Shaiman.

This is what audio books were made for!

If you could sum up I Must Say in three words, what would they be?

"Read By Martin!"Oh, give me a break, what a wonderful performance by Marty, and that's no lie. Can I call him Marty? I suppose if we were best friends, I could call him Marty. Oh and I suppose that would ever happen! This book made me completely mental, I was so sad when the book finished and there was nothing more to listen to, it was similar to a pain that may linger, I must say.

What did you like best about this story?

Read and Performed by Martin Short.

What does Martin Short bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It's a total performance masterpiece. He does not merely narrate, he goes into his all sorts of different voices, there's even a couple of times where a piano is played. (but no triangles are played.)

A high point for audiobooks...Bravo!

It's almost as if this was conceived as an audiobook first. His performance makes this more than just someone reading their book. This is the real Martin Short, as funny, candid and tender as someone can be when sharing their life and talent. Very highly recommended.

Not Just For Fans, Say I

This book is great fun for fans of SCTV, SNL, Martin Short, and 1970s--80s humor generally. Short impeccably reads his own multiple laugh-out-loud stories about practically everything under the sun, including lots of humorous anecdotes concerning awkward social situations during which the author, usually in an effort to impress some major celebrity he's just met for the first time, manages to put his foot squarely in his mouth, concluding his rueful tale with his trademark self-deprecating "'Damn thee, Marty Short,' said I."

There are also a lot of recreated sketches and songs, which led my much-older husband (who never followed SCTV) to become rapidly bored while listening, and prompted me to imagine I would be qualifying my review with the title "Great For Fans." However, just before its final hour, the book takes an unexpected (for me) very serious turn, and without giving any spoilers, I have to say I had tears in my eyes at the end.

Bravo, Marty Short! say I. Thank you for sharing. I'm sure I'll listen to this one again sometime. Grade: A.

Humble, heartfelt and hilarious

I enjoyed the flow of the story. The hilarious highs and the humility and telling grace through the lows. I have already recommended it to like minded friends after having to pull over to the side of the road on TWO occasions, once for laughing myself to tears and the other, well tears. It's a love story masqueraded as a memoir.

Maybe my expectations were too high

I had high hopes going into this one. I mean, it's Martin Short reading his own biography. Aside from the occasional deep insights and funny story, this book is fairly dry. You walk away knowing about Martin Short's life, but don't walk away with the stories and humor that I was expecting from one of my favorite comedians. It pains me to rate it so low, but I would probably pass on this one if I hadn't already listened to it.

Must read

a name-dropping extravagant

I love the comic performances of Martin Short. His work on SCTV and even his brief stint in SNL were brilliant. The creation of Ed Grimley, alone, warrants Short winning the Nobel Prize for Comedy....you know, if that was a real thing.

This highly entertaining bio takes us from a young Short fantasizing about a career in show biz all the way through his remarkably prolific comedy/performance career. What I found truly compelling are Short's stories from his childhood and about his family. beautifully written, incredibly compelling, at times heart breaking, other times, exhilarating.

oddly, as we progress through his ascendency to lowercase "s" stardom, the stories become less compelling, less exhilarating. and what really bogs the bio down is the almost relentlessly name-dropping. I've no doubt Short's relationships with some of Hollywood's brightest and most powerful personalities are real. he has always struck me as a genuinely decent guy who doesn't take himself to seriously.

well, you know, as far as performers go.

the true low point is towards the end, when he's taking about a memorial/celebratory gathering for his recently departed wife, and he gratuitously drops Bruce Springsteen's name, and it just thuds -- taking a loving story about his one true love, and making it...crass.

[this is another one of those audio books that simply had to be done by the author. further, I can't imagine how the written version could possibly capture the author's voice... or voices, as he does dozens of impressions (some truly uncanny... the man has an amazing ear). as audiobooks become increasingly popular, it will significantly change publishing's business model, in which all author's will be expected to also be able to perform.]